IRON HAND IN A VELVET GLOVE
Stephen Kenny takes charge of Ireland for the first time in September but his control and authority are already apparent as he puts his own stamp on the boys in green
‘WE’VE GOT TO GIVE OUR CREATIVE PLAYERS A PLATFORM’
FOR his first public appearance as Republic of Ireland manager on Wednesday, Stephen Kenny kicked off a marathon media session with an RTÉ interview. At his suggestion, the chat with Tony O’Donoghue took place in the inner courtyard at FAI headquarters in Abbotstown.
Kenny spoke of his plans as he stood between two wooden posts, upon which were written the words ‘Integrity’ and ‘Excellence’.
They might easily have read ‘Control’ and ‘Authority’.
Having the interview take place where he wanted was another wee glimpse into Kenny’s preference to be in charge.
For all his gentleness and humility, Kenny carries an iron hand in a velvet glove and no one should underestimate his steely authority.
Ahead of his first game as manager, away to Bulgaria in the Nations League on September 3, Kenny’s security of tenure and his influence on Irish football has been rapid and unprecedented.
Too much, too soon? It’s too early to judge but FAI chiefs are backing Kenny to the hilt and believe he is here for the long haul, to the extent there is already a seat for Kenny on the FAI executive team.
As always, results will determine Kenny’s legacy but the 48-year-old Dubliner is leaving nothing to chance in his quest to be a success.
No other manager has made such changes to the Irish senior set-up, nor have they engaged with the Under 21s and other underage teams in the way Kenny is doing.
So far, Kenny has directly approved the introduction of nine new members to the coaching staff of the Irish senior team, headed by Keith Andrews, Damien Duff and Ruaidhri Higgins.
Only goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly and Dr Alan Byrne survive from the Mick McCarthy crew.
Further down the chain, Kenny was consulted before the appointment of Jim Crawford as U21 manager, and the arrivals of John O’Shea and, most recently, Alan Reynolds, to the backroom team.
Without his blessing, none of those selections would have happened.
As Kenny sees the U21s as a main feeder for the senior team, he has planted his people, with his coaching ideas, in their ranks. He is also in direct contact with the other underage managers, Tom Mohan (U19s), Paul Osam (U18s) and Colin O’Brien (U17s) about the way he wants Irish teams to play.
From physios to therapists, analysts to kit men, Kenny is building a team of support structures to enable the Irish international team to thrive on his watch.
His attention to detail is astonishing. Along with Andrews, Duff and Higgins, he has crammed in homework on Bulgaria, Ireland’s opening Nations League opponents.
Each man took two Bulgarian games apiece from the Euro qualifiers and made a presentation to the others.
It’s been the same with the games played by Slovakia, whom Ireland face in the Euro 2020 play-off semifinal on October 8, and also every Irish player on Kenny’s radar for the eight games in the autumn. ‘We’ve seriously scrutinised,’ acknowledged Kenny.
How much? ‘We’ve 40 Irish players to cover every weekend. I designate who watches what game between the four of us.’
When Kenny reels off how Ireland had 53 corners in the eight Euro qualifiers yet didn’t score a goal, you have a handle on his thoroughness, and also a faultline for Ireland under Mick McCarthy.
‘From every corner you should be thinking, “Right, I’ve a chance to score here”. There is certainly room for improvement there,’ said Kenny.
As a comparison, the average return in the Premier League is a goal every 10 corners. If Ireland had managed that in the qualifiers, they’d have scored 12 goals instead of seven, and would probably have finished first or second in the group.
‘With the U21 campaign, in the seven qualifying games we scored two (goals from corners), I think.
Even that, you’d want to be doing even better,’ said Kenny. Probe him and he laments the chronic shortage of senior international goals.
In the last 17 competitive games stretching back to September 2017, Ireland have scored just 12 times.
In the eight Euro qualifiers, they scored seven, three of which were against Gibraltar. Of the others, one was a freekick, while two were scored by defenders.
Kenny points out that Ireland’s mostused attacking players, James McClean, David McGoldrick and Callum Robinson, didn’t cough up any chances in the qualifiers.
Rather, they never got any, which identifies the dearth of creativity in midfield. We’ve not been creating chances, a couple of halfchances here and there, that’s been a constant in the team. What other way of scoring goals is there? In our general play we will adapt our approach, for sure. We have to find a different way of playing, we have to try and control games and that’s the way I’ve always approached it. ‘Once you can establish control, I feel your creative players will have the platform to go and play. David McGoldrick has been isolated in a lot of the games.’ One player whom Kenny will lean on for ‘control’ in the trenches is James McCarthy, last seen in action for Ireland almost four years ago.
‘I’ve spoken to James McCarthy and know how keen he is to play for Ireland again.
‘He’s someone who I think has a lot of quality,’ said Kenny.
‘His appearances are in the mid-20s for Crystal Palace in the Premier League this season and he hasn’t had that over the last couple of years. He needed to be back playing regularly.’
Harry Arter is also in mind for a recall under Kenny, who notes the way he has adapted to a more defensive role at Fulham, while Jayson Molumby, a ‘natural leader’, according to Kenny, is set for promotion from the U21s for a recall in a new-look engine room.
Kenny is baffled that John Egan and Matt Doherty, at 28, have only started three competitive qualifiers, when they were ready for such a challenge three years ago.
Seeing Egan make a strong case for Player of the Year at Sheffield United, you get the sense Kenny is probably right.
Finding a position for Doherty in the team without dropping Seamus Coleman was a riddle McCarthy abandoned after an hour in Gibraltar, but Kenny gives the impression he can accommodate both, without upsetting the balance.
‘Seamus and Matt have been a conundrum,’ he acknowledged. ‘Matt has been hugely influential for Wolves and he is a genuine goalscoring right-back.
‘He scored against Denmark, joining in the general play and getting in at the back post. I’ve seen him score in the 90th minute to keep Wolves in the FA Cup last year, a goal from a corner. So you know, big goals and big moments.
‘Seamus is back in the team
at Everton. He was out for a while to (Djibril) Sidibe but has got himself back in with some great defensive performances.
‘Seamus is a brilliant captain and represents Irish football brilliantly.’
So, could they both play in the same team?
‘Sometimes it will be a straight decision and sometimes it won’t. Both can play in the team depending on how we want to play.
‘Either of them could play leftback; in a back three Seamus can play narrow, Matt can sometimes play advanced in midfield. We would have to see all that.’
Unlike Martin O’Neill and McCarthy who released topheavy provisional squads, Kenny will run a tighter ship. His squad will consist of 23-24 players and will be named much closer to the international window.
He wants everyone to think they have a chance of playing when they board the ‘SS Kenny’.